Apparatus for treating liquid dairy products



April 29, 1952 F. G. CORNELL, JR 2,594,399

APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS Filed Deo. 12, 1946 'lll/1111111111111111111111lll/111111111111111;r11/l llllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllli` fQ/z G @Oe/Via) JQ n Patented Apr. 299, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE y 12,594,399 v APPRATSQFR TRATING ALIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS Frit'z"G. Cornell; Jr., Mountainliakes, N. VJ assignor,i .by mesne assignments, to 'ChesteriJ en- `sen Company, Chester, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Appueatiunneeember 12, 194e, serial No. 715,5718

-Claims. v1-

'Phis invention relates to" apparatusfor treatf ing liquiddairy products.

vCertain methods of treating dairy' products; such-as milk-and cream,v require subjection ofthe product to certain conditions of vtemperature and vacuum as well-as-to agitation. One formof apparatus -forv treating dairy products under' the above `-referred to conditions consists of a vat equipped with heating means and closed by a cover'having anair-tight seal with the vat. The cover supports an agitator assembly including a sha-ft passing through the cover which -is providedv with a sleeveto receivev the shaft.. The sleeveis closed by an annular-cap forming an' air tight seal therewith andwith the shaft passing through the-cap.

I-Ieretofore,V it has beenv customary'to drive the shaft by' a motormounted onA the surface of the cover. It has been-found-that, with this arrangement, the shaft may be ino'v'e'd. out of alinement with the cap due to vdistortion ofthe cover due to warpagefrom the effects of thel temperature and vacuum operating conditions within the` vat. Such misalinementresults `in improper functioning of the'app'aratus.- 'Ifhe'warp'age of the .cover is the result oi strains set up'in it during fabrication, which 'strainsl are not uniform. The Dull exerted on the cover by vacuum within `the vat as well as the expansion of thecover due: to teniperature rise causes Virregular distortion 'of 'the cover because of the aforementioned strains'. Also, in this type apparatusfpressure may beproduced'within the vat for-discharging the treated liquid dairyproduct therefrom and thesame effect may result.

An obj'e'ctof thisinventionfis aniimprovedshaft operating arrangement and Sealfifsucli-lappa--V ratus where alinernent will always be maintained between` the shaft `and cap' and the s'ea'lwill 1remain tight both for V-vacuiimand pressure condi.- tions within theva't.

A further object of this'invention is a vat seal of such nature that it may be readily taken apart and thoroughly cleaned without requiring dismantling of the shaft and its driving means.

Other objects. novel features and advantages of this invention will be apparent'from the following specifieation and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1`i`sa section taken alongline I-I ofg. 2 of an embodiment of the invention; and

`Fig. 2 is an elevation of said embodiment. 'The cover I0 of a vat of the type dsclosed'in CornellPatent No. 2,295,098 is fragmentarily illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. A cylindrical sleeve II extends through the cover I0 and is permanently attached thereto`-` An arm I2 is carried by the sleevev and supports a frame I3 which in turn supports a motor I4 equipped with a standard built-on speed reducer having an output shaft I5. A housing I6` is attachedtoone end .of the motor unit I4 and'aishaft l'lisjournalledin bearings ir8 and I9 contained in said housing. A beveled.` gear 20 mounted on the shaft lmeshes with a beveled gear 2| mounted on the shaft II. Above the gear 2| is provided a thrust type antifriction bearing 22. By the arrangement .fjust described, .the shaft I1 is supported bythe sleeve I'I andi remains inaxial alinement with the sleeve irrespective of distortion of the container in the area through which the sleevezpasses.

An` eXteri'or-ly-threaded collar :23' surrounds .the shaft I1 below .thehousingi l'iandisxed to the shaft bya pin Anut .25esurrounds'theshaft Ii and is threaded to the collar '23.. .A cap .2.5 for .the sleeve I. I ha'sla centralaperture 2.1 `through which extends the shaft and the exterior diameter of the cap .is .slightly lessi than the 1interior' diameter .of theisleeve so that it may passV therethrough.

'The cap 2.6 ish'eldin'po'sitionatithetop ofthe sleeve Ii' bya 1`1ing23V of suitableresilientmatee rial, such, forexample, as rubber which is seated ina groove 2.9 inthe cap 2S and is of .sufficient cross-section that its exterior `dian'neter exceeds the interior diameter ofthe sleeve ISI. A splash guardfll of. suitablematerial overlies the fc'apZi and the'upper end of the sleeveI I..

A- ring 3| surroundsV the .shaft and 'rests upon the cap 26. A recess is formed in .theupper portion .of Vthering 3| to Vreceive a gasket 32, the upper surface ofwhich is engaged by the bottom surface of the nut 25. The cap 26 .and thering 3| rare provided with co-operating annular surfaces Aof sufficient 'smoothness .toiform a .vacuumtig'ht seal between the cap `and ring. duringrelative rotation thereof. Adjustment vof-:the'nut 25 on `the Vmember 23 compresses theLA gasket 32 against'the ring 32| and .around the. shaftIJ .sufficiently to. cause unitary rotation of .the shaft and ring and form a vvacuunfi-.tight*seal between the shaft and ring. An agitator, notr shown, is detachably supported from the shaft I'| within the vat by a coupling 33 of 'the'type disclosed in saidv Cornell patent.

The shaft ii is maintained in alinement with the sleeve Il and the `annular surfaces `of the cap 25: 'and ring 3| 4are lmaintained in. sealing relation irrespective of the strains which `may be applied to 'they material. constituting the cover by reason ci Vthe frame |13 being supported by the sleeve II. Also,A theseal formed-at the top of the sleeve II is effective for maintaining either sub-atmospheric' Vo: superatmospheric pressure in the vat. When a vacuumexists within the vat I9, the cap 2t is urged inwardly to compress the ring 28 by the pressure diiierential between its top `vand bottom surface to form a tight seal around the cap Arim while thegasket 32 'providesa-tight seal between the .shaft and the cap. When pressure is applied to the interior of the vat for discharging its contents, a tight seal is maintained against air escape by compression of the ring 28 and the gasket 32 through pressure applied thereto by the nut 25.

After disconnection of the agitator from the shaft I'I, the seal between the shaft I'I and the sleeve I I may be dismantled by screwing the nut 25 upwardly far enough to permit the ring 28 to be pried out of the groove 29 and drawn down through the sleeve. Thereafter, the cap 26, splash guard 30, ring 3I, gasket 32 and nut member 25 may be passed down along the shaft and through the sleeve. After the parts have been cleaned, they may be assembled by procedure reverse to the demounting procedure.

It is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the device above described, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a closed container, a sleeve supported by and extending through a portion of said container, a rotatable shaft extending through said sleeve, a first member of less cross-section than said sleeve surrounding said shaft and capable of movement through said sleeve, a sealing member in contacting relation with said first member and said sleeve and of suflicient cross-section that its exterior diameter exceeds the interior diameter of said sleeve, a second member surrounding said shaft and engaging said first member, said two members having smooth contacting annular surfaces constituting a vacuum and pressure tight seal, a gasket surrounding said shaft and engaging said second member, an externally threaded collar fixed to the shaft, and a nut threaded on the collar for compressing said gasket against said second member.

2. In combination with a closed container, a motor, a sleeve supported by and extending through a portion of said container, a rotatable shaft extending through said sleeve, a first member of less cross-section than said sleeve surrounding said shaft and capable of movement through said sleeve, a sealing member in contacting relation with said first member and said sleeve and of sufcient cross-section that its exterior diameter exceeds the interior diameter of said sleeve. a second member surroundingsaid shaft and engaging said first member, said two members having smooth contacting annular surfaces constituting a vacuum and pressure tight seal, a threaded member fixed to said shaft, a nut member surrounding said shaft and screwed onto said threaded member, a gasket interposed between said nut member and said second member, and means carried by said sleeve constituting a sole support for said shaft and said motor, and a fixed coupling between said shaft and said motor whereby said shaft and sleeve are maintained in alinement with said surfaces in sealing relation and said coupling is always free of distorting stresses irrespective of distortion of the container in the area through which said sleeve and shaft pass.

3. In combination with a closed container, a sleeve supported by and extending through a portion of said container, a rotatable shaft extending through said sleeve, a first member in vacuum and pressure tight relation to said sleeve and having an aperture through which said shaft extends, a second member surrounding said shaft and engaging said member, said two members having smooth contacting annular surfaces constituting a Vacuum and pressure tight seal, a gasket surrounding said shaft and engaging said second member, an externally threaded collar surrounding the shaft, means fixing the collar to the shaft and a nut threaded on the collar for engaging and for compressing said gasket against said second member.

4. In combination with a closed container, a motor, a sleeve supported by and extending through a portion of said container, a rotatable shaft extending through said sleeve, a first member in vacuum and pressure tight relation to said sleeve and having an aperture through which said shaft extends, a second member surrounding said shaft and engaging said first member, said two members having smooth contacting annular surfaces constituting a vacuum and pressure tight seal, a gasket surrounding said shaft and engaging said second member, adjustable means carried by said shaft for compressing said gasket against said second member, means carried by said sleeve constituting a sole support for said shaft, and a fixed coupling between said shaft and said motor whereby said shaft and sleeve are maintained in alinement with said surfaces in sealing relation and said coupling is always free of distorting stresses irrespective of distortion of the container in the area through which said sleeve and shaft pass.

5. In combination with a closed container, a motor, a sleeve supported by and extending through a portion of said container, a rotatable shaft extending through said sleeve, a first member of less cross-section than said sleeve surrounding said shaft and capable of movement through said sleeve, a sealing member in contacting relation with said first member and said I sleeve and of greater overall dimensions than said sleeve, a second member surrounding said shaft and engaging said first member, said two members having smooth contacting annular surfaces constituting a vacuum and pressure tight seal, a gasket surrounding said shaft and engaging said second member, adjustable means carried by said shaft for compressing said gasket against said second member, means carried by said sleeve constituting a sole support for said shaft, and a fixed coupling between said shaft and said motor whereby said shaft and sleeve are maintained in alinement with said surfaces in sealing relation and said coupling is always free of distorting stresses irrespective of distortion of the container in the area through which said sleeve and shaft pass.

FRITZ G. CORNELL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,425,268 Massa Aug. 8, 1922 1,680,057 McIntyre Aug. 7, 1928 2,003,003 Marbury May 28, 1935 2,283,904 Baumgarden May 26, 1942 2,295,098 Cornell Sept. 8, 1942 2,355,390 Murphy Aug. 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 185,011 Germany 1907 

